PRP for the Face: Your Own Platelets, Explained

The nickname is unhelpful. Somebody called it a vampire facial, a celebrity posted a photograph of herself covered in blood, and a legitimate medical treatment has been explaining itself ever since.

What actually happens is closer to a blood test followed by microneedling, and nobody leaves looking like the photograph.

What it is

We take a small amount of your blood and spin it in a centrifuge to separate out the platelet-rich plasma. That plasma is then returned to your skin, either through microneedling across the surface or injected into specific areas, depending on what we are treating.

Platelets carry growth factors, which are the signalling proteins your body uses to coordinate repair. Concentrating them and delivering them into the skin is a way of asking the skin to do what it already knows how to do, more of it and in a particular place.

It is autologous, which means it comes from you. There is nothing synthetic in it, no filler, and no risk of reacting to a foreign material.

What PRP for the face does for the skin

The honest framing is skin quality rather than facial structure.

Texture. This is where PRP for face performs most reliably. Skin that feels rough, looks uneven or has lost its smoothness tends to respond well.

Fine lines. The crepey areas, particularly under the eyes and around the mouth, where the skin is thin and other treatments are awkward to use.

Tone and dullness. Improved microcirculation and a healthier dermis tend to show up as skin that looks less flat.

Acne scarring. Combined with microneedling, PRP is a reasonable option for shallow scarring, over a course rather than a single session.

Under-eye hollows and dark circles. Results here are mixed and depend heavily on what is causing the darkness. Pigment responds differently to shadow, which responds differently again to thin skin showing the vessels underneath. This is worth assessing properly before you spend anything.

What it will not do is restore volume or lift anything. If your concern is a hollow cheek or a jawline that has softened, PRP is the wrong tool and a collagen stimulator like Sculptra is a more sensible conversation.

What the session involves

You are in the clinic for about an hour.

We take the blood first, from the arm, the same as any blood test. It goes into the centrifuge for around ten minutes while numbing cream sits on your face.

Then either microneedling across the treatment area with the plasma applied as we go, or targeted injections into specific areas, or both.

Most people describe it as tolerable rather than pleasant. Microneedling feels like sandpaper being drawn across the skin, more noticeable on the forehead and around the nose.

Afterwards

After PRP for the face, expect to look flushed for a day or two, similar to mild sunburn. Some people have a little swelling on the first evening, particularly around the eyes.

Skin often feels tight and looks slightly dry on days two and three, then starts looking better than it did before.

Practical points: no make-up for 24 hours, no gym or sauna that day, and sun protection is non-negotiable for a week afterwards. Skin that has just been needled is vulnerable to pigmentation, and undoing your own treatment with a sunny afternoon is an avoidable annoyance.

How many, and how long doe PRP for the face last

A course of three sessions, four to six weeks apart, is the usual starting point. Single sessions give a short-lived glow. The structural improvement in skin quality comes from the course.

Improvements build over three months as new collagen is laid down, so the skin you see at twelve weeks is a better indication than the skin you see at two.

Most people maintain with a session every six to twelve months.

Who it suits, and who it does not

It suits people who want to improve skin quality without introducing anything synthetic, people whose skin is dull or textured rather than volume-depleted, and people who have reacted to products or are cautious about injectables generally.

It is not appropriate for people with certain blood disorders, those on particular blood-thinning medication, or people with an active skin infection in the treatment area. Some autoimmune conditions and some cancers also rule it out. All of this is covered at consultation, which is one of the reasons the consultation is with a doctor.

If you are hoping for a dramatic change, be realistic. PRP improves the quality of the skin you have. It is a good treatment with a modest, cumulative effect, and the people who are happiest with it are the ones who understood that going in.

Questions we get asked

Is it the same as the vampire facial? It is the same underlying treatment. The nickname came from a photograph and has done the treatment no favours.

Does it hurt? Numbing cream makes it manageable. Most people rate it as uncomfortable rather than painful, and it is over quickly.

Can I combine it with other treatments? Frequently, yes. PRP works well alongside polynucleotides and can be sequenced with peels. What it should not be combined with is a same-day appointment before an event.

How is this different from PRP for hair? Same preparation, different target. The scalp version aims at follicles and runs over a longer course. The facial version aims at skin quality.

Can I have it before a wedding or an event? Yes, with planning. Finish the course at least three to four weeks before, not the week of.

Hedonia is a doctor-led aesthetic clinic at 31 Brown Street, Salisbury SP1 2AS. Every consultation and every treatment is carried out by a qualified doctor.